World’s Largest 3D-Printed Neighborhood
3D printing startup Icon collaborated with home-builders Lennar Corp and architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group to create the Genesis Collection, 100 3D-printed homes in the Wolf Ranch suburb of Austin, Texas. These homes not only comprise the world’s largest neighborhood of its kind, but they are also built more efficiently, quickly, cheaply and sustainably than those made by traditional means, while being more resistant to climate change and offering unrestrained design opportunities. Icon uses a Vulcan printer, a 46.5-foot-wide robot that features a crossbar that moves alongside its foundation of two towers and a nozzle that moves from side to side along the bar. It is this nozzle that “prints” (like a piping bag) each layer of their proprietary concrete mixture, Lavacrete, which only requires 15 minutes to dry. Because Lavacrete is pliable and the robot can maneuver easily, the method allows curvilinear designs that are not typically offered at this price point. Learn more at Bloomberg.
Image courtesy of Icon
Via bloomberg.com link opens in a new window
